How to Tell Your Brand Story Online

September 15, 2014 / UNCOMMON

How to Tell Your Brand Story Online

September 15, 2014

Dave Benton Founder, MetaJive

With a life mission to create exceptional experience, Dave Benton founded interactive design firm metajive in 1999. Focused on collaborating with his clients and his team, Dave is always looking for new opportunities to disrupt the online word with new and innovative website experiences. When Dave isn’t working he’s trying to make the perfect mixtape.

The world that brands live within has evolved, and today online platforms are one of the largest brand communication tools. What sets some brands apart, however, is the care they take to nurture their brand story. These stories should be developed in a way that they can create outcomes that are not only forward thinking and beautiful, but also place the brand front and center in the mind of the customer.

Here are six Uncommon Sense Steps to telling your brand’s story:

1. For consumers to value your brand you must live your values.Great storytelling connects your brand with people’s lives. Loyalty grows when consumers feel that a brand’s values align with their own. Focus on the brand’s strengths to develop individual brand stories. It is far more effective to educate audiences through an authentic brand story than by blatant marketing.

2. Stop selling and start innovating—a successful brand builds everything around their remarkable product and service.Too often brands become so overwhelmed with tactical and fiscal goals and layers of process and procedures that they begin to focus on one-off sales tactics and advertising trends rather than their core strengths and reason for being. A brand’s key to success is showcasing what they do in unique ways. Stand out. Be unique. Give consumers a reason to believe in your brand and it will resonate.

3. Know what makes your customers tick.Ensuring your company values align with your customers’ is vital to long-term brand success. Understanding your own brand and what you’re promising your customers is the thread that weaves through your entire company’s actions.

4. Understand your audience and tailor your message to them. A clear vision of your target market drives effective messaging. Successful brands create products that appeal to a range of consumer emotions and values. Simply put, knowing your audience results a tailored message just for them. Every brand should know who they are talking to when developing successful messaging.

5. Your brand’s story must have a consistent message. Establishing brand cohesion creates transparency and a story that consumers can understand, repeat and rally behind. If you attempt to be everything to everyone your brand message becomes convoluted, inconsistent and confusing.

6. Apply your brand values throughout every facet of your company. Your brand values should be used as a guide throughout your entire organization. Values are a blueprint of the story you share with the world—providing brand context and clarity to your brand message. Use your brand values as a filter to speak to your audience on the medium they prefer—whether that’s through video, imagery, content or your website. Using digital media to enhance your brand story allows companies to highlight their product and service benefits through information design, infographics, interactive videos and other applications to enhance consumers’ experience with your brand.

With a life mission to create exceptional experience, Dave Benton founded interactive design firm metajive in 1999. Focused on collaborating with his clients and his team, Dave is always looking for new opportunities to disrupt the online word with new and innovative website experiences. When Dave isn’t working he’s trying to make the perfect mixtape.